‘Poli-tricks,’ setbacks and feds stall ESL center
Kickbacks are the latest talk in East Boogie, as the FBI and U.S. Postal Service have begun examining records and interviewing those connected to the stalled renovation of the Mary E. Brown Center.
The center, often mentioned by ESL native and Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee, was a major recreational and social outlet for her during her childhood, as well as for hundreds of other ESL youth and adults during the 1970s and 1980s.
It eventually fell into disrepair and was forced to close, leaving a void for the youth and adults of ESL’s south end and Lincoln Park area.
In October of 2000, during the administration of Mayor Debra Powell, ESL was awarded $800,000 through the Illinois First Program for the renovation of the Mary E. Brown Center.
Subsequently, in 2002, an additional $800,000 grant was received for the project, raising the hopes and spirits of many who had grown weary of the eyesore and had been denied a much-needed facility to service the south-end.
That same year, the ESL City Council approved Carlyle Construction Management (of St. Louis) as the general contractor. At long last, renovation would begin on the center (hold your applause).
Then, almost one year later, Carlyle walked off the job (in November 2003) over alleged payment disputes with the city of ESL.
Fast forward to February of 2005. ESL City Council approved a new contract with Carlyle; but by September 2005 Carlyle had failed to meet their obligation and (again) walked off the job. Their previous renovation work fell victim to deterioration from the elements, vandals and scavengers (political and otherwise).
In September, O.E.I. Geotechnical Environmental Engineers (of St. Louis) accused Carlyle of mismanaging funding for the project. Carlyle claims that the city of ESL had failed to pay him. The city claims to have fired Carlyle because of cost overruns (in excess of $400,000) for the job.
I’m not a betting man; but if I were, I’d speculate that the new Busch Stadium (despite starting construction three years after the Mary Brown Center project) will be completed before the Mary E. Brown Center is renovated. Such is the nature of ESL “poli-tricks.”
Just ask KTVI reporter Elliot Davis. He found himself running behind former City Manager Bob Storman and convicted former Councilman Charlie Powell for answers regarding the stalled project. It’s amazing how fast these politicians (especially crooked ones) can run when they’re caught without an answer.
Mayor Carl E. Officer stated last month, “There is no doubt in my mind that kickbacks were at the heart of this.” I would tend to concur. Major cost overruns are often the source for generating funds for kickbacks and payola in government funded projects.
Then there is the question of why former ESL Councilman Michael Collins (convicted on state voter fraud charges) was hired as a subcontractor (at the direction of Storman, according to Carlyle). Talk about affirmative action for convicts!
Last Thursday, in an attempt to fix the problem, Officer and the ESL City Council approved the awarding of a contract, to contractor Hollis Riggins, for the completion of the Mary E. Brown Center, as well as the remodeling of two ESL firehouses.
During that same meeting, Officer dropped a bombshell, claiming that Carlyle Construction may not have been bonded during the time of their work, and that any potential attempts to sue them could prove to be futile.
This sort of attention to detail was often a source of conflict between both Mayors Powell and Officer and the then-Charlie Powell-led faction of the City Council. Several convictions and multiple goof-ups later, we now know that the mayors were correct.
Let’s hope that the city has learned to at least conduct background investigations into the credibility of all future contractors and to monitor their work closely to avoid excessive cost overruns, as well as to ensure timely completion of jobs.
Isn’t that what city inspectors are paid to do? Isn’t that what the voters and the youth of ESL deserve? But, then again, I’m just a columnist. What do I know?
Email: jtingram_1960@yahoo.com.